Unbeaten Masuk turns back Oxford 28-21

Rich Elliott

Updated 1:05 am, Saturday, October 5, 2013

Masuk's Peter Kokkoros pushes his way into endzone for a touchdown as Oxford's Kyle Chudoba tries to make the stop, during high school football action in Oxford, Conn. on Friday October 4, 2013.
Photo: Christian Abraham

The punt return snap sails over the head of Oxford's Kyle Chudoba causing the team to loose 28 yards, during high school football action against Masuk in Oxford, Conn. on Friday October 4, 2013.
Photo: Christian Abraham

OXFORD -- The Masuk football team had not experienced a significant amount of adversity this season. The ninth-ranked Panthers had won their first three games by an average of nearly 37 points.

First-year coach David Brennan had been preaching right along the necessity for his players to maintain their focus and their composure in a tight game. He believed in the senior class. He believed in senior captains Malik Cummings and PJ Kokkoros, in particular, that when the time came for them to rise up they would produce.

The Panthers proved themselves to Brennan Friday by earning a thrilling 28-21 win on the road over Oxford. Confronted with a tie game early in the fourth quarter, Cummings found Kokkoros for a go-ahead, 62-yard touchdown and Masuk ultimately stopped the Wolverines on downs inside the 10 in the final minute of the game.

"It just shows that our team is just capable of going through adversity,'' Cummings said. "`I think that's a big key about this team. It's something that we didn't do last year because last year when we got hit we were done. But this year we're a whole other team, and we're one big family going right at it.''

Cummings rushed for 70 yards and threw for 169 and two touchdowns as Masuk remained unbeaten in four meetings all-time against Oxford.

Kokkoros finished with four receptions for 141 yards and two touchdowns. He also rushed for two scores and threw for a two-point conversion.

Masuk (4-0) managed to win despite squandering a 14-point lead and committing four turnovers.

"It tells us that we have a wealth of maturity,'' Brennan said."It tells us we have a wealth of ability to overcome obstacles. And, again, that seems to be a theme that permeates throughout our entire program.''

Masuk (4-0) scored 15 points in a span of 78 seconds late in the second quarter to open a 21-7 lead at halftime. However, they committed three turnovers in the third quarter to allow Oxford to climb back into the game.

But Masuk showed no sign of being rattled. It took the Panthers only four plays to regain the lead when Cummings changed a play and connected with Kokkoros with 10:45 left in the game.

Kokkoros was originally supposed to run a corner route. But Cummings checked to a cop route, which is a corner route, then a post.

"PJ's one of the best receivers in the state in my opinion,'' Cummings said. "And I told him, `We're going to hit you down the field.' And that's what I checked to and we scored.''

Oxford (2-2) also continued to battle, starting a potential game-tying drive at its own 20 with 6:05 left. The Wolverines would face a 4th-and 17 from the Masuk 19 when Vankamerik drew a pass interference penalty inside the 10.

However, a rule change implemented this season does not award the offense with an automatic first down. The ball was placed at the 9 with 1:03 left and the down was replayed.

Chudoba then completed a pass to Owen Diaz in the back corner of the end zone, but it was ruled that Diaz was out of bounds.

"I mentioned that in the preseason meeting that that's a foolish rule,'' Oxford coach Joe Stochmal said. "You're awarding the defense for having a defensive penalty by not giving the offense an automatic first down. Because of that rule that hurt our chances of winning this game.''

Cummings followed by kneeling twice to end the game.

"It's a loss,'' Stochmal said. "They're a Top 10 team in the state and we knew that going in. We respect that about them. But we never feared them. It hurts. Our kids are hurting a little bit right now, but we'll pick ourselves up and we'll get ready for Immaculate next week.''